Thursday, February 4, 2010

I never realized how much waiting goes into being sick.When you first feel it in your system, you just wait for it to get worse. Once it gets worse, you wait for the medicine to kick in. You wait for it to get better. Once you realize it's not getting better, you wait on the line to make a doctor appointment. You wait in traffic to get to the doctor. You wait to actually see the doctor. More waiting to get your prescription filled. Even more waiting to feel the medicine actually kick in.It's just so much waiting that, looking back on it, is almost maddening. I recently went through the most painful illness I have experienced in my 25 years (that I remember, anyway). Now that I can actually swallow my own saliva (without the help of pain medicine), I will never again take it for granted. Watching people chew chips and sandwiches and drink pop and water without any pain was just unbearable to watch. Strep throat/tonsillitis is one of the worst things you can possibly go through. It's especially bad when your throat swells up so much you can't eat or drink anything ... for nearly three days. I was in the hospital years and years ago for pneumonia. It wasn't pleasant but I don't remember much pain associated with it. Well, this time, it was almost unbearable. Thank God for Percocet ... that's all I'm saying. I don't care that it made me sicker than a dog, I could actually swallow water without much pain.After three days at Creighton, I was able to walk out feeling so much better than I did when I was wheeled in. It really makes me thankful for the doctors and nurses whose duty it is to take care of those admitted into hospitals. I have many friends who are nurses and I never really thought much about what they do until I was under the direct care of their fellow nurses. I don't really know what the point of this blog is. I guess I just want to thank those of you who kept me in your prayers last week while I was being treated. And to my family, Kevin (and Kyle!) for spending time with me while I was holed up at Creighton. It really meant the world to me!